The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to a card connector, and, more particularly, to a card connector which can prevent the mistaken insertion of a card, and allow a card which has been mistakenly inserted to be removed.
Traditionally, card connectors have been provided in electronic devices in order to use memory cards. In recent years, with the rapid miniaturization of electronic devices, both memory cards and card connectors have shown a tendency toward miniaturization as well. Moreover, card connectors are frequently disposed in locations which are comparatively hard to see (i.e., on the sides, backs, etc. of the devices, as well as out-of-the-way of the locations where the front displays, operating buttons, etc. are disposed). Therefore, the cards may sometimes be inserted incorrectly. In addition, when the cards are so inserted, since parts other than the pads on the outsides of the cards touch the connecting terminals of the card connector, these terminals can be bent or broken. Therefore, card connectors, which prevent the incorrect insertion of cards, have been devised. An example of such a connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-039415, the content of which is incorporated in its entirety herein.
FIG. 11 illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the slider of a conventional card connector. In the drawing, slider 823, made from an insulating material, is a part that is attached to the housing of the card connector in such a way that it can slide, and it slides together with the card that is inserted into the card connector. This slider 823 is provided with a main part 823b, which extends in the sliding direction along the side edge of the card, and a holding part 823c, which extends in the transverse direction of the card connector along the front edge of the card and is connected so that it is perpendicular to the front end of the main part 823b. 
Moreover, an inclined contact part 824, which touches the inclined surface, is formed in such a way than a corner on one end of the front end of the card is cut out. Furthermore, a rod-shaped elastic deforming part 826, which extends along the main part 823b, starting from the holding part 823c, is formed. This elastic deforming part 826 does not touch the inclined face of the card when this inclined face touches the inclined touching part 824, but it is formed to a length such that it touches this corner when the corner on the other end of the front edge of the card has been inserted along the main part 823b. Furthermore, it is formed in such a way that, when the corner has been inserted along the main part 823b, the corner does not touch the inclined contact part 824; thus, a surface 825 is formed, which is almost perpendicular to the direction in which the elastic deforming part 826 extends.
Moreover, when the card has been inserted in the appropriate way—that is, when it is inserted correctly—the inclined face part, formed in the corner on one end of the front edge of the card, touches the inclined touching part 824, the front edge of the card is held in the holding part 823c, and the side edge of the card is held by the main part 823b. Therefore, the slider 823 slides in the direction in which the card is inserted, along with the card.
On the other hand, when the card has been inserted in an incorrect way—that is, when it is inserted upside down—the corner on the other end of the front edge of the card touches the front end of the elastic deforming part 826 and it rides up on the inclined surface 826a which was formed on this front end. Therefore, the front end of the elastic deforming part 826 is elastically displaced downward, and a stopping projection 826b, formed on the opposite side of the inclined surface 826a, engages with a stopping concave part, formed in the bottom surface of the housing (not shown). Therefore, the slider 823 is not able to slide, and thus further advance of the card is prevented. In this way, the connecting terminals inside the card connector, etc., can be prevented from being injured by the wrongly inserted card.
However, in the conventional card connector, when a card of a kind which the card connector is made to be used with—that is, a card of the correct kind—is inserted in an incorrect fashion, the insertion of the card can be prevented, but when a card of a kind for which the card connector is not made, that is an incorrect kind, and one which is smaller than the correct kind of card, is inserted, the insertion of the card cannot be prevented. In recent years, many kinds of cards have been marketed. Therefore, users may try to insert different kinds of cards into the card connector, mistaking them from the correct kind In particular, if a different kind of card has the same length as the correct kind of card but a smaller width than the correct one, it will not touch the front end of the elastic deforming part 826; therefore, insertion of it into the card connector cannot be prevented. Moreover, if it has been inserted deeply into the card connector, the position of the card is not stable; therefore, the card may be caught in the housing in such a way that it cannot be extracted.